Post by Salem6 on Sept 15, 2008 12:00:25 GMT
Serie A Week 2 - 14/9/08 (19.30 UK)
Juventus 1 - 0 Udinese
Amauri 66 (J)
Stadio Olimpico
Amauri's first Serie A goal for Juventus proved enough to defeat Udinese after hitting the woodwork twice.
Last season Antonio Di Natale gave the Friulani a surprise victory here and Udinese were in fine form again, topping the table after their 3-1 demolition of Palermo despite Dias Felipe and Cristian Zapata's injuries. Juve were kicking themselves when conceding a late equaliser against Fiorentina in Week 1, but welcomed back Momo Sissoko and David Trezeguet. Giorgio Chiellini returned a month ahead of schedule from a knee ligament strain.
This fixture last ended with a share of the spoils in 1998-99. Vincenzo Iaquinta hit the back of the net after three minutes, but it was correctly disallowed for an offside position from Pavel Nedved's through ball.
Iaquinta went close again as his shot took a deflection off a defender to loop up and Samir Handanovic fingertipped it out from under the bar.
On 16 minutes there was panic in the Udinese box. Amauri's smart header ricocheted off the upright into the path of Iaquinta, but Andrea Coda did just enough to clear inches before it crossed the line.
Amauri shook the side-netting with a solo effort and Handanovic palmed away a Nedved snapshot. Juve had penalty appeals rejected as Chiellini nodded on to Coda's arm, although replays suggest it was the shoulder anyway.
Another Iaquinta header from Mauro Camoranesi's cross skimmed the post, then Handanovic just about scrambled the ball off Amauri's foot from a couple of yards.
Udinese created some chances too, as on 40 minutes Olof Mellberg intercepted Di Natale's cross, but Zdenek Grygera may have lightly nudged Fabio Quagliarella in the back.
A fine counter-attack caught Camoranesi by surprise when he was clear on goal, but in stoppages Di Natale again set up Quagliarella for a header that Gigi Buffon plucked out from under the bar.
After the restart Simone Pepe's counter was deflected out for a corner, but Juve hit the woodwork for a second time as Christian Poulsen unleashed a sudden right-foot screamer from 20 metres that cracked against the crossbar!
Di Natale was tired from international duty and made way for Alexis Sanchez, Udinese's new young Chilean starlet. Nedved blasted another piledriver off target and Iaquinta failed to get enough purchase on an audacious over-the-shoulder volley.
The deadlock was eventually broken on 66 minutes at the end of a sustained period of pressure. Momo Sissoko tried to burst through three defenders just inside the box, but the deflection was pounced upon by Amauri to stroke it home.
Udinese nearly equalised moments later. Inler and Sanchez combined before the ball fell to Quagliarella, who brought a great save out of Buffon with an outstretched leg. Handanovic had his palms stung by a powerful Sissoko blockbuster from over 25 metres.
The game seemed to be under control, but with 120 seconds left on the clock Udinese created a fantastic opportunity. Antonio Floro Flores took advantage of a Mellberg error to go clear on goal and Chiellini had to dive in with Buffon to between them clear the danger amid penalty appeals for a shove on the striker.
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Juventus: Buffon; Grygera, Chiellini, Mellberg, De Ceglie; Camoranesi (Del Piero 86), Poulsen, Sissoko, Nedved; Amauri (Trezeguet 86), Iaquinta (Marchionni 79)
Udinese: Handanovic; Ferronetti, Coda, Lukovic; Motta (Isla 71), Inler, D'Agostino, Pasquale; Pepe (Floro Flores 75), Quagliarella, Di Natale (Sanchez 58)
Ref: De Marco
www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/sa0809/juv-udi.html